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Etiology (/ ˌ iː t i ˈ ɒ l ə dʒ i /; alternatively spelled aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek word αἰτιολογία (aitiología), meaning "giving a reason for" (from αἰτία (aitía) 'cause' and -λογία 'study of'). [1]
An etiological agent of disease may require an independent co-factor, and be subject to a promoter (increases expression) to cause disease. An example of all the above, which was recognized late, is that peptic ulcer disease may be induced by stress, requires the presence of acid secretion in the stomach, and has primary etiology in ...
An idiopathic disease is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent spontaneous origin. [ 1 ] For some medical conditions, one or more causes are somewhat understood, but in a certain percentage of people with the condition, the cause may not be readily apparent or characterized.
Other exceptions to Koch's postulates include evidence that some pathogens can cause several diseases, such as the varicella-zoster virus causing chickenpox and shingles. Conversely, diseases like meningitis can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens. [11]
Also called silent disease, silent stage, or asymptomatic disease. This is a stage in some diseases before the symptoms are first noted. [23] Terminal phase If a person will die soon from a disease, regardless of whether that disease typically causes death, then the stage between the earlier disease process and active dying is the terminal phase.
Despite by definition being based in biological causation and free of objective moral and ethical value, naturalistic theories of disease carry inherent cultural implications. For example, what one culture or country might classify as a disease caused from internal imbalances might be considered normal behavior within a different culture.
Some health insurance policies also define a medical condition as any illness, injury, or disease except for psychiatric illnesses. [3] As it is more value-neutral than terms like disease, the term medical condition is sometimes preferred by people with health issues that they do not consider deleterious. It is also preferred when etiology is ...
Crohn's disease – an inflammatory bowel disease; Hypertension (high blood pressure) Metabolic syndrome; AIDS – a disease caused by a virus that cripples the body's immune defenses. Graves' disease – a thyroid disorder, most often in women, which can cause a goiter (swelling in the front part of the neck) and protruding eyes.